Reducing food loss and waste – the business case and beyond

This chapter examines to what extent the private sector can be relied on to reduce food loss or waste, and the scope for public-sector intervention. Where the benefits of food loss and waste reductions accrue to stakeholders other than those implementing the reduction measures, public intervention may be justified. The chapter looks at the net benefits of food loss and waste reduction for private actors (the business case) and then discusses the broad economic benefits of these reductions for society as a whole (the economic case). The economic case looks beyond the business case for food loss and waste reduction, to possible gains for society at large that private actors do not take into account. If these society-wide gains exceed the costs of efforts towards loss and waste reduction, public intervention may be justified.

Sustainable Development Goals:

No Poverty

Responsible Consumption and Production

Zero Hunger